Believe in the Guardians
by Tai Ling the Snow Leopard
Summary: In 2016, Destiny, a 15 year-old girl from Colorado is tired of hearing her younger siblings talking about the 'Guardians' and how the 'Guardians' will protect you if you believe in them. Ever since her siblings saw ROTG, they believed, but Destiny never believed. But when things go awry, will she turn to the mythical people her siblings had been ranting about for the past 4 years?
1. Chapter 1: It's just a fairytale

**Heya! This is my second fanfiction about ROTG,** **and it takes place in 2016! I hope you enjoy, please review!**

It was Christmas Eve, my two younger siblings-Celine and Johnny-and I were spending the holidays at our grandparent's house. I sat by the fire, half-listening to our grandpa tell us all about the story of how St. Nick became Santa. I had heard this story at least 100 times by now—he had been telling it to them pretty much every day lately—and I was pretty much done with it. You'd think that my siblings would be over the whole 'Santa' thing by now, Celine being 11 years old and Johnny being 9, but they haven't. It was all because of that stupid 'Rise of the Guardians' movie that came out in 2012, 4 years ago. Celine and Johnny insisted on buying it, and ever since then, I have been listening to Celine trying to get me to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, and most importantly, Jack Frost.

I stared out the frosty window. Snow was falling gently over our front lawn. _And it was caused by nothing but frozen water molecules in the air, _I thought practically. _Not some guy named Jack._ I was 15, and all my little beliefs in mythical people like that had ended when I was 5 year old—I had seen my mom placing gifts under the Christmas tree and my dad hiding the Easter eggs.

"Destiny?" Celine waved her hand in my face, breaking into my thoughts. "Dest—"

"What?" I cut her off with a glare.

"We have to go upstairs now. It's time for bed!" she said in a sing-song voice. "Come on!" she called, racing up the wooden staircase.

I rolled my eyes and followed my peppy little sister, Johnny on my tail.

"Do you like that story?" he asked me quietly.

I glanced at Johnny. "I've heard it too many times," I answered him briskly.

"Oh."

We began to walk in silence.

"But… you like Santa, right?" He questioned slowly.

I didn't really want to burst his bubble, so I answered it as calmly as I could. "I like Santa," I began, "But the stories are getting annoying."

"But you believe in Santa… I hope you do! You'd better, because he'll keep you safe _AND_ give you presents tomorrow, on Christmas!" the little boy squealed. He raced a few steps ahead of my and onto the 2nd floor of our grandparent's home. "Race you!" With that, my little brother sprinted down the hall and into the bedroom the three of us shared.

Grinning, I darted after Johnny, the awkward and rather annoying conversation left behind us.

* * *

I was fast asleep I bed when I heard a scream. My heart skipped a beat and I jumped out of bed. Johnny and Celine were clutching each other, their eyes huge.

"Oh my gosh!" Celine whispered, Johnny echoing her.

I raced over to their side of the room. "W-What happened? Is anybody hurt? Did someone—"

Celine put her hand over my mouth. "I-I saw… _Santa_! And _Jack_ _Frost_!"

Johnny elbowed her. "_We_ saw Santa and Jack Frost!" his green eyes widened and he stared up at me. "I can't believe it! Jack Frost waved to us! Santa flew right by our window!"

I just about exploded. "You've got to be joking with me!" I exclaimed. "You wake me up with a horrific scream, and I think something actually important happened! But _NO_! It had to be something stupid! You just scared me for no reason at all!" I realized I had been yelling. Thankfully, the house was big enough so that none of the adults could hear me.

Celine's eyes widened and she gasped, staring out the window. "Jack is still there! Look!"

I glanced at the window, seeing nothing. "There is nothing there! There is no such thing as Jack Frost, or Santa! Okay?!"

"But he is there… open the window! I think he's saying something!" Celine trilled, ignoring me.

Johnny and Celine rushed past me and unlocked the window.

I fought the urge to yell at them again. _Maybe if they see that they can't hear anyone out there, they'll realize that the Guardians don't exist! _I decided, relieved. But my relief faded as they began to talk to the air outside the window. _They… my siblings have problems, major problems!_

"Huh? No, she doesn't believe. I always try to get her to believe, but I can't," Celine was saying.

"S—She likes Santa though," Johnny added.

There was a moment of silence where apparently the air, or 'Jack Frost' was talking.

Celine sighed. "Please… can you?"

More silence. Apparently 'Jack Frost' was talking.

"Facts, solid facts… ooh! I've got it!" she began to whisper to the air. I could no longer hear what she was saying.

I stared at my Celine and Johnny, who currently looked as if they had a mental condition. They continued to whisper to the air for several more minutes.

"Yay!" Celine and Johnny suddenly exclaimed in unison.

Celine jumped up and down. "Thanks so much! We will always believe, we promise."

"Yes, we promise!" Johnny grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Frost!"

With that, the conversation ended and Celine closed up the window. They turned around to face me, looking a bit sheepish.

I narrowed my eyes. "You two have problems," I muttered.

Celine and Johnny just shrugged and gave each other a high-five.

"No we don't," Celine chirped, skipping back into her bed.

Johnny jumped into his bed, and the room was silent once more.

I sighed and walked back into my bed, suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness.

* * *

I was dreaming. I was in a dark room, with no signs of any life. Curious, I began to explore the room. The sound of footsteps behind me made me freeze in surprise.

"Don't believe in the Guardians, eh?" a creepy voice asked me.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I groaned, turning to see two glowing gold eyes.

"What is there to kid about? It was just a question," the voice said.

I folded my arms, ignoring the questions as I suddenly recognized the voice. "Dreams are weird. You hear the word 'guardian' more than once in a day and you end up dreaming about the characters from the movie!" I complained.

"And that is just coincidental?" the voice wondered mockingly. "How many times has this happened?"

I thought for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. "Often, quite often. They are really stupid dreams most of the time, though."

"How so?"

"They just are," I answered.

"It's funny how blind you are. Do you know who I am?" the voice chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. You're Pitch from the move 'Rise of the Guardians'. What else?"

The voice snickered some more. "Ever wondered if it was more than just a movie?"

"Great, you sound like my sister. Now I _know_ this is a dream. But to answer your question, no."

"Well, that was all I needed to know," the eyes began to fade away. "Merry Christmas and Happy Nightmares!" The voice began to laugh until it completely faded away.

The dream ended just like that, and my found myself staring at the ceiling, with my alarm glowing 4:42am.

Johnny and Celine were fast asleep, so I didn't bother to wake them up as I crept downstairs to the Christmas tree. Believer or not, it was still fun to do. My name was on a few small presents like always, but the larger gifts like bikes were for Celine and Johnny. It always was that way. I eyed my presents. In my family, you were allowed to open one small gift such as a small package before the rest of the family wakes up. One package, glittering with gold, caught my eye. It had my name written on it with brilliant penmanship, but there was no 'from' or return address. I slowly opened it, pulling out a ruby necklace. The ruby was real, I could tell because I had taken a summer class about rocks and crystals. The ruby was large and gorgeous with a wisp of gold in the middle. I reached into the package again, pulling out a note. It said:

_ '__Dear Destiny,  
We believe it is time that you just stop and listen to the world around you. You may find something that you never thought was possible. We hope you like the necklace; please make sure that you don't lose it. By the way, look on the back of it, if you haven't already. Thank you.'_

I narrowed my eyes at the letter, confused. In my hand I gripped the necklace and turned it over. There were words engraved on the back of the ruby. It said: 'Believe.'

I stared at it for a moment. "Believe?" I whispered.

'Believe in the Guardians, Destiny!' My sibling's voices echoed in my head.

I stared at the necklace, deep in thought when a voice entered my mind. It was the same, eerie voice from my dream. 'To believe, or not to believe? Your choice, Destiny, but why suddenly believe in someone after getting a gift from them? It could have been from anyone in the world and not from who you think gave it to you, you know,' it murmured.

I shrugged away the voice.

This wasn't the time to think about that. I clipped the necklace around my neck, unsure of what else to do with it. It was beautiful, and I loved it—why worry about beliefs now? It was Christmas for heaven's sake! I began picking up the scraps from the package and placing them under the couch for further examination. I stopped as I heard footsteps from behind me. "Merr—" I began, turning around. No one was there. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore it. _Merry Christmas?_

**Hm… what's going on there? Yeesh… I just realized that it's midnight here, oops! (this was not my best work, haha) Stayed tuned for chapter 2, and pleaseeeee leave a review! Thanks SO much for reading! :D  
P.S. I completely disagree with Destiny's non-believing attitude, I would have believed in the Guardians in an instant. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: The lake

**Eeep! I am very excited to get on with this chapter! Thanks you SO much if you left a review, favorite, or followed. It means A LOT to me! I will admit that I did not expect this much attention in just one day. Thank you, everyone! Enjoy chapter 2!**

"Truth or dare?" my mom asked Celine, a mischievous look on her face.

"Uh… dare!" my sister answered, leaping from her spot on the carpet.

It was a family tradition to play Truth or Dare on Christmas after we all had opened our gifts. I don't know why we did it. But It sure was fun; and at the end of the game, my grandpa would give my mom a dare asking if he could take us kids somewhere that evening. Usually he would dare her to let him to take us all skiing or maybe even a midnight hike through one of the trails in the forest a few miles away.

"I dare you to… go sneak up on Dad in the kitchen," my mom decided. My mother was never very good at this game, but this was one of her better dares.

"Alrighty!" Celine ran out of the living room. A few moments later, we heard a loud yell and a break out of laughter. Celine came trotting back to us, Dad following behind her.

"Can someone explain this to me?" my dad asked us with mock anger. "I was busy putting syrup on my waffles, and BAM! A little munchkin scares the life out of me!"

Johnny giggled and pointed a finger at Mom. "Uh oh!"

I looked down from my family's game and stared at the ruby necklace around my neck. I had put it in my shirt so no one would ask questions, but the pendant was freezing cold and bothering me—it wouldn't get warm no matter what I tried. I examined it closer. Was the little gold wisp _bigger_ than before? _It can't be… that must be my imagination!_

"Destiny? Destiny? Helllooooo Destiny!" Celine yelled. "Earth to Destiny! Come in Destiny!"

I glanced over to my sister who was just a few inches away from my face. "Truth or dare?" she asked me.

"Wha—oh, truth," I muttered, trying to shove the necklace back into my shirt.

Celine's eyes widened. "Where did ya get the necklace? Did you steal it? Ooh, ooh! Did your _boyfriend_ give it to you?" Celine grinned as if she had hit the jackpot.

I didn't have a boyfriend. "No…" I answered, glaring at my very immature sister.

"Well, my question for the game is:"—Celine cleared her throat—"Where did you get the gold necklace?"

_ Gold? Doesn't she mean ruby? Well, the chain is gold… _I shifted uncomfortably—I honestly didn't know what to tell her. "Uh… we had a Secret Santa thing at school, and I got this!" I lied quickly.

My mom leaned forward. "Show me the necklace, hun."

With a sigh, I removed the necklace from my neck and handed it to her.

"Someone bought you this expensive of a gift? Look at the size of that ruby! Someone must be a millionaire!" Mom gasped.

"Was your Secret Santa a boy…?" Celine teased, not really paying attention to Mom.

I glared at her. "I don't know. That's why it's called a _'secret'_ Santa."

My mother handed back the necklace. "That is a gorgeous gift. Don't lose it!"

Johnny, who seemingly had not been paying attention, bounced over to me and peered into the ruby. "Whoa!" he breathed. "It's pure gold!"

I narrowed my eyes. "No, it's a ruby. That means it's red!"

Johnny shook his head, his eyes huge. "No! It's gold!"

"Yes, it is gold," Celine said, trying to sound sophisticated, "Gold is not red, and red is not gold. Rubies are stones and gold is a metal. Your necklace does not have a ruby pendant, it has a gold pendant."

I shoved the necklace into my pocket with a groan of irritation.

My grandpa looked up from his book of _'Christmas Tales'_ which was almost always seeming to read. He was a 'Christmas addict' in my mind. "Okay, everyone. Time for the final 'Truth or Dare' question."

Celine let out a squeal, "Yay!"

"Truth or dare?" my grandfather asked my mom.

"Dare, of course," Mom smiled.

"I dare you to let me take the kids ice skating tonight at a lake up north!" my grandfather decided, standing up. "It'll be fun!"

_Cool! Ice skating! _I thought, pleased to not have to go do anything hard like a long hike.

My mom looked surprised, but very relieved. "Good, I was worried you were going to make them do a midnight hike again—_that_ was scary. I thought something had happened when you came back late!" she fretted.

"YAY!" Johnny exclaimed, ignoring Mom's worries. "I love ice skating! Thank you, Gramps!"

Dad, who I had not realized was still there, gave Johnny a high five. "I wonder if you could race Celine on the ice and win?" he wondered challengingly.

Celine elbowed my dad. "No way! I am _way_ faster than Johnny!"

Johnny shook his head. "I can beat you easily, Celine!"

"Oh, it's on!" Johnny and Celine shook hands.

Mom chuckled. "This will be nice for all of you," she glanced over at me. "What about you, Destiny, are you excited?"

"It will be a lot more interesting than last year's hike, that's for sure!" I answered her, grinning.

My grandpa walked over to me. "I'm glad I found something that you won't be negative about!" he knelt down, a teasing look in his eyes. "And yes, like your sister said, that necklace's pendant was a gold one. Not a ruby," he whispered.

I rolled my eyes good naturedly. "Whatever you say, Gramps," I shrugged.

Gramps chuckled and walked into the kitchen. "Merry Christmas!" he laughed randomly.

It was just then when I realized that I had a very weird family; but strangely, I didn't really mind it.

* * *

A few hours later, we were all hopping into Gramp's old blue van.

"Everyone has their skates, right?" Gramps questioned to everyone in the backseat.

Celine, Johnny, and I all answered with a unified, "Yep!"

Gramps started up the car. "Off to 'Whispering Lake'!" he called happily.

"Whispering Lake? That's an odd name," I commented, glancing down at my necklace.

Celine tapped me on the shoulder. "I did some research on this lake," she began informatively, "it is called the Whispering Lake because people have said that you can hear the spirit of winter trying to talk to you. But the spirit has never shown itself," she told me in awe.

"She's right!" Gramps added in.

I bit back a huge complaint. "You do realize that the winter spirit is the same as 'Jack Frost', right?" I asked my siblings in a whisper.

Johnny and Celine nodded with the same, huge, awestricken, green eyes. "That's the best part!"

I then realized how much my two siblings looked alike. They both had the same hazel-colored hair and the same faces, too. Plus, they both had freckles sprinkled across their pale faces. As for me? I just had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and no freckles at all.

Johnny broke into my train of thought. "You know, if we are lucky enough, maybe Jack Frost will…" he lowered his tone to a whisper, glancing over to make sure Gramps wasn't listening, "maybe he'll appear to us like last night!"

I groaned. "I _still_ think you guys have some sort of problem…"

Johnny looked crestfallen—making me feel guilty—but Celine simply replied, "It's Christmas, anything can happen—even the impossible."

With a sigh, I set my gaze on the icy road my grandfather was driving on. The radio was buzzing aloud:

_"Sunday, Christmas Day, 5:25pm, we are here live to tell you the recent events of Colorado! Just a few miles north from here at the studio, there was a car crash due to the heavily iced roads this holiday season. No one was reported injured or dead. Make sure to drive safe folks! Farther north, a blizzard is taking place…"_

"Jack Frost did those things!" Celine whispered into my ear.

"Well then Jack Frost isn't a very nice guy, is he?" I retorted.

To my surprise, my sister looked offended. "He just wants to have fun! Besides, things have to happen—good and bad," she explained. "I thought you knew that, after seeing 'Rise of the Guardians' so much with us.

"Whatever."

The car halted to a stop. "We're here!" Gramps announced cheerfully. I checked the car's clock. It was 5:30pm, and already beginning to get dark. We leaped out of the van and into the snow, stopping to put on our skates on.

"Remember, everyone," my grandfather began, as we walked to the edge of the ice, "never ever skate on the clear patches of ice, or on the ice that has snow on it—those will break under your weight. Understood?" he instructed.

"Gramps, we've gone ice-skating before," I sighed, turning to walk onto the ice.

He rested his hand on my on my shoulder, a look of affection in his eyes. "I know. But I don't want you getting hurt."

"Or end up drowning like Jack Frost did before he became a Guardian!" Celine whispered in my ear.

"Well, if this is Jack Frost's lake, you'd better stop talking about his past—it might make him sad," I whispered back at her with a tiny hint of sarcasm. That would shut her up.

Celine blinked and then slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oops! Sorry!" she squeaked.

I could have sworn I heard a small laugh from somewhere in the bushes, but I ignored it.

I turned back to Gramps who was making sure that his skates fit him. "Thanks for the safety tips!" I called, racing out onto the frozen lake with my necklace banging against my chest.

* * *

After skating for an hour, my feet began to get tired. Gramps had already retired from skating after no more than 20 minutes of being out on the lake. He had decided to watch us all from an old bench after that. I joined him as I took a quick break.

"Having fun, Destiny?" he asked me with his eyes sparkling.

"I'm having one of the best times in a long time!" I breathed out the frosty air in white puffs as I answered him. A sudden question jumped into my mind. "Why did you choose this lake instead of any other?"

"Because it's the Winter Spirit's lake," my grandfather grinned. "Jack's lake."

I blinked. "Please don't tell me that…"

Gramps chuckled. "No, I'm not crazy about the Guardians like your siblings—but that is one heck of a great movie. Don't worry, I don't believe everything in that movie—Pitch aint real, that's for sure. But the rest of the people… maybe."

I rolled my eyes.

Gramps sighed at the sight of my irritation, but he didn't say anything for a moment. He seemed to be thinking. "If you stop and listen to the world around you, you will hear why this lake is called Whispering Lake," he said quietly.

The words from my mysterious package popped into my head:

_ 'We believe it is time that you just stop and listen to the world around you. You may find something that you never thought was possible.'_

The words echoed in my head for a moment, but they stopped when the voice from my dream entered my mind—Pitch's voice. My head spun as he spoke. 'Are you really going to listen this naïve little letter?' he sneered, 'You might as well start believing that pigs can fly! By stopping and listening, you won't hear or see anything new—you'll just start collecting snowflakes on you. I don't know why you even bother to think in that way.'

I thought about this for a second, but my grandpa's suddenly urgent voice snapped me back to reality.

"Destiny! Are you okay?" he gasped.

I realized I had my eyes closed. Slowly opening them, I found myself lying flat on the snow. "What the…?!"

"Y-you just toppled over!" Gramps exclaimed, helping me to my feet.

I brushed the snow off my jeans. "I'm okay though. I must have been listening so hard to everything around me, I forgot to breathe!" I half-lied, trying to make it sound like a joke. Fear swirled inside of me. _What just happened?!_

Gramps laughed uneasily, sitting back down on the bench.

I tried to distract myself from what had just happened, but the letter and Pitch's words wouldn't leave my mind. I wandered over to the edge of the frozen lake, watching my two siblings race each other, back and forth. I glanced down at my necklace, noticing something that I hadn't seen before. The golden swirl was moving—very slowly, but moving. It was a little bit bigger than it had been this morning, but not by much. _That's… weird._

Looking up, I saw my sister skating up to me, looking frantic. "Y-y-you…"

"I what?"

"Fell over…" Celine gulped.

I raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

Johnny darted up beside Celine. "I-I can't believe it!" he chattered. "When you fell…"

"Spit it out you two," I mumbled, feeling awkward about the topic of our conversation.

"P-Pitch was there!" Celine looked horrified. "I swear, I saw him! He was standing right next to you when you fell! He must have put some sort of a trance type thing on you that knocked you out for a moment…" she turned to Johnny. "We have to find Jack! He can help Destiny before Pitch does something horrid!"

Johnny nodded, then smiled sweetly at me. Then he said something very mature that I never expected from him. "Don't worry, I don't care if you don't believe in the real Guardians. If Pitch wants to do something to you, we will do anything to keep you away from him. We'll be _your_ personal 'Guardians'."

There was nothing I could do to stop my siblings as they rushed into the forest behind me. I heard them calling out for Jack Frost. _They really believe in this, don't they? They really want to save me from Pitch…_

**Pitch is annoying, isn't he? I hope I'm not boring anyone. Hehe… Chapter 3 will probably be up sometime tomorrow! I am having a lot of fun writing this! Pleasseeee review! Be sure to check out my other fanfics!**


	3. Chapter 3: Just listen!

**Sorry for the long wait, I got really busy… and I FINALLY got to see the movie… it was the most PERFECT movie EVER! Haha, anyway, here is chapter 3! Once again, I'd like to give a GIANT thank all of you for leaving reviews and such! For a little bit of a twist, a part of this chapter is going to be Celine's POV. Let me know if you like it, ok?**

_Celine's POV_

I rushed past my sister and into the woods, Johnny just a few paces behind me. Once we were out of Destiny's sight, I turned to face my brother. "Okay, if we both just saw Pitch next to Destiny, then that actually happened, right?"

Johnny nodded, his eyes wide. "I hope Pitch doesn't know that Destiny doesn't believe in the Guardians, because then he could turn her into… I don't know… something scary!"

"Not if we find Jack," I told him, a look of determination spreading across my face.

"Right!" Without warning, Johnny darted deeper into the forest, frantically calling out for Jack Frost.

"Wait up!" I called after him, echoing his worried shouts for Jack.

Johnny stopped and turned to face me. "What if he's not here?"

"What if who's not here?" a male voice asked.

I whirled around to see a teenage boy with white hair and pale skin. He had a mischievous look on his face. In his hand he held a snowball, obviously wishing for a good game.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, relief flooding off of me. "Thank MiM you're here! If you hadn't been… I don't know what we would've done!" I told him worriedly.

Jack's mischievous look faded. "Is something wrong?"

Johnny took up the answer. "Um… we saw Pitch."

"And he is trying to trick Destiny," I finished quietly. "We don't know what he wants to do with her, but heck, this is _Pitch_ we are talking about! Whatever he plans to do will be dangerous,"

Jack's icy-blue eyes widened as he realized the importance of the situation. "I'll go tell North. You two wait by the lake, and keep an eye on your sister."

"But what is Pitch comes back? He nearly knocked out Destiny with some sort of trance before! Imagine what else he'll do!" I exclaimed at the winter spirit. My fears were confirmed when even Jack looked worried.

"Keep trying to get her to believe in the Guardians," he told me slowly. His eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, is she wearing a necklace?"

I nodded, confused. "Yeah, a gold one. She says it's a ruby, but it's definitely gold. Why?"

Jack ignored my question, but looked a little less worried. "Good. Go back to her and keep talking about the Guardians. If she continues to think about us, then Pitch won't be able to hurt her for a while. I'll be back as soon as possible, got it?"

"Got it," Johnny and I answered in unison.

With that, Jack flew off into the air. Johnny and I exchanged glances before racing back to our sister.

_Remember sis, the Guardians are real. Don't let Pitch make you think that they aren't. Just trust us, _I thought as if Destiny could hear me. Doubt lingered in my mind. After 4 years, I hadn't been able to get my point across that the Guardians existed. How could I get it across now?

* * *

_Jack Frost's POV_

As I flew towards the Pole, I began to think a little bit more about the situation. If Destiny continued to be stubborn in her non-believing ways, then Pitch could most easily capture her and turn her into something horrid. But, if she finally did believe, then Pitch would get mad and try something else—perhaps something even more dangerous. So, it could go either way. I wasn't really a fan of Destiny after seeing her yell at Celine and Johnny last night, but they were depending on me. _Besides, Pitch probably was fueling her anger when she was yelling… _I thought. _Who knows?_

I flew in through the window of North's workshop, taking him by surprise. He nearly dropped his platter of special holiday cookies as I rushed past him, earning me a quick warning look which was soon replaced with a grin. "Jack Frost," he began, placing the plate on the table in front of him. "Merry Christmas!" he said cheerfully in his thick Russian accent. "What brings you here? You haven't dropped by for quite a while, I was beginning to worry."

It was true; I hadn't visited him in a while, but that wasn't the important thing. I decided to skip saying 'Merry Christmas' and get to the point—after all, Pitch could be currently trying to manipulate Destiny… or worse, her siblings. I had to make this quick so I could get back there. "North, it's about Pitch."

North's happiness faded. "What did the he to this time?"

"Remember those kids—Celine and Johnny- I told you about a while ago?" I began. "Well their sister—Destiny—she's a nonbeliever, and Pitch decided that Destiny would be his new target." _I wonder why?_

North rose from his seat. "I'll contact the others. Go and see what you can do to help Destiny and her siblings, we'll meet you over there as quickly as we possibly can. If Pitch is up to his old tricks, we are willing to help in anyway we can."

"Thanks North," I told him gratefully. I flew out of his workshop without another word. _Now, back to those kids… I hope Pitch didn't decide to come back._

* * *

_Destiny's POV_

I just stood by the lake for a moment, waiting for my siblings to come back. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see my grandpa beginning to doze off on the bench. I stared at the frozen lake. The ice across the lake was reflecting the moon's silver glow illuminating the entire area around it. The night was absolutely gorgeous. My thoughts ended as Celine and Johnny came racing back, their faces flushed from their frantic run.

I felt a bit of concern for them. They looked genuinely fearful, and it wasn't for their sakes—it was for mine. "You two okay?" I asked them quietly.

They both nodded, out of breath. "We found Jack," Celine said through gasps of air.

"And he is getting help," Johnny finished breathlessly.

I bit back a retort, but something triggered inside of me. It was then that I realized that I actually was scared.

Celine looked up at me. "You've got to listen though. The Guardians can only help you if you believe in them. If not, Pitch can turn you into who knows what!"

"I'm sorry but I—!"

Celine hugged me and I took a step back, nearly slipping on the ice-covered lake behind me. I had never seen her this desperate. "Please, just listen to me! This is serious. Even Jack is worried." she pleaded.

I sighed, not sure what to say.

Celine seemed to take this as an opportunity to persuade me some more. "When you passed out for that second, did you um… know that Pitch was there?"

Johnny elbowed her and whispered something in her ear. Celine stiffened. "Whoops."

"I guess. I heard him, but that's all," I answered my sister quietly.

"Okay. If Pitch is real, then why can't the Guardians be real?" Celine pressed. "Don't just answer, prove it."

I tried to think of a logical way to answer. "Pretty much everything 'magical'—like Santa Claus delivering presents—is actually done by our moms and dads. Dreams are caused by an active brain—not Sandman, and winter is caused by a change in the earth's temperature—not Jack. As for nightmares and evil, they just happen, with no real cause—so Pitch actually could be behind them."

Celine smirked. "Wrong. Nightmares could be classified as something due to an active brain as well. So the Sandman has just as much as a right to exist as Pitch does. If you know Pitch exists, then the Sandman does as well. Why can't the other Guardians?"

I sighed, plopping myself in a mound of snow. "This is just annoying…" I muttered, eyeing my necklace once more. The gold swirl had gotten even bigger now, but I tried to ignore that.

Johnny sat down next to me, but Celine stood over me as if she was trying to show that she would not quit her rant.

Johnny tipped his head to one side. "When Jack gets back, we can get him to do something really cool so that you can't help but believe in him!" he decided brightly.

"Good idea Johnny," Celine praised the little boy.

I stared at them, debating as to whether or not they could be onto something or if they were just plain insane.

I heard footstep behind me and I whipped around, not knowing who to expect to be standing there. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was just Gramps, holding out his phone to display the time. "It's 6:45 now, how about we go take a hike around here and see what we can find?" he suggested.

Celine shook her head. "No! No! We can't leave this spot!" she stamped her foot on the ground to enforce her statement.

Gramps gave her a confused look but it quickly turned to a mischievous one. "How come? Are you waiting for… well, I don't know, a certain spirit to show itself?"

Celine and Johnny exchanged looks, looking as if they were wondering if they should tell Gramps what was going on.

Johnny stood up. "In a way, yes."

Celine groaned, giving him a small hit on the shoulder. Johnny glared at her but then sighed.

"We don't really want to... have an adult here…." Johnny faltered sheepishly. He wasn't the kind of kid to leave other people out, so I could tell it was hard for him to say.

Gramps chuckled. "I see. You'd prefer to make discoveries on your own. Well, I'll go hiking around but I will be back no later than 8:00, okay? Don't wander too far from here. Don't wanna lose you guys."

With a murmur of understanding, we waved our grandpa goodbye and turned back into our conference. I secretly wished to go with him—to escape my siblings lectures, but alas I could not.

Celine glared at Johnny once Gramps was out of sight. "Don't. You. Dare. Tell. Him. Anything."

Johnny looked at her questioningly. "I wasn't gonna… but what's wrong with telling him?"

Celine was about to make a remark when I cleared my throat to cut her off. "What's the big deal, Celine?" I asked her.

"The big deal…?!" she sighed. "You don't get it."

"The big deal is that you are all sitting around arguing and such; meanwhile Pitch could be lurking nearby and using this as an opportunity to fuel your anger and put fear into you," someone said from behind me.

I blinked, not moving. _That voice…_

Celine and Johnny's eyes brightened. "JACK! You're back!" they suddenly screamed, racing past me.

My heart skipped a beat. _I heard… NO. I couldn't have. Oh gosh, I'm going insane…_

I heard whispering—lots of it.

After a moment, Celine tapped me on the back. "Turn around and face him, doof. Even if you can't see him, he can most definitely see you."

I sighed. "You still have a problem," I teased half-heartedly.

Celine gave me a firm look, obviously not finding it funny. "Turn around."

With a roll of my eyes, I stood up to face the 'Guardian', expecting to face nothing but air. _Oh god, if they make me 'talk' to him, I'm going to look like a complete idiot!_

But to my surprise, standing only a few feet away, there was a teenaged boy—a teenaged boy with white hair, icy-blue eyes, and a g-shaped staff. He wore brown pants and a blue hoodie laced with frost. _Frost… frost?_ _FROST!_

I fainted.

***faceplants into pillow*I.. finally… finished.. chapter…3. I couldn't seem to decipher how to put Jack into the picture, and it took me a while to figure out how conclude this… well, I learned my lesson and have planned out chapter 4 ahead of time! Chapter 4 will be up ASAP if school doesn't load me with homework! I hope you like this and PLEASE review!  
P.S. Did you like the POV changes? Or should I just stick to Destiny's POV?**


	4. Chapter 4: A dream or reality?

_**Please read:**_**  
I'm extremely sorry for the long wait… once again; things have been really busy around here. I have midterms coming up this week, so I have been studying… _a lot_. Plus, I've been working on two big writing assignments for midterms, and they are **_**really**_** keeping me busy. Ugh, I hate school. Chapter 5 won't be up until after Christmas unless I get really lucky to sit down and write. Well anyway, thanks so much for your reviews—it makes it very fun for me to write this when I know you guys are enjoying it. I will stick to Destiny's POV—honestly I like writing it more, anyway! :)**

I awoke when something freezing cold hit my head—snow. I opened my eyes, wiping the snow off my forehead. Above me, I could see Celine staring down at me with a huge grin spread across her face as if she thought that this was the best thing ever. I spotted Johnny standing a few feet away, looking as innocent as ever, and to my left, I could hear the teenage boy laughing.

Dizzy, I slowly got to my feet, unable to help myself but to stare at the teen with the clothes laced with frost and snow-white hair—Jack Frost. _I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. I must have hit my head while we were ice skating. This isn't real. This is NOT real._

When I realized how stupid I must of looked to be just staring at 'Jack', I quickly pulled out my phone and pretended to text. Simplest way out of any awkward situation, am I right? Jack must of taken this offensively, because he immediately stopped laughing.

"You see him!" Celine screamed, causing me to jump in surprise. "You actually see Jack Frost! You believe!"

"No, I do not believe! Gosh, Celine!" I glared at her, shoving my phone back in my pocket. _I. Am. Dreaming. That's all._

Celine stopped bouncing and gave me a disbelieving stare. "Well, that's _impossible_. I mean, you see him, right?"

Jack walked over to Celine and whispered something in her ear.

Her green eyes lit up. "Ohhh! That makes a lot of sense. I was wondering about that. But, that can't…?" she said something else, but could no longer hear her.

Jack said something else quietly.

"Aw… dang it," Celine muttered, "That's _not_ cool."

Johnny bounded over to them. "What? What?" he demanded. They all huddled into a little circle, whispering back and forth.

Suddenly feeling very excluded, I bit back a sharp retort. Stomping off angrily, I decided to go find Gramps.

"Hey!"

I whipped around to see Jack Frost looking at me through narrowed blue eyes. "Where are you going?" he asked me.

"As far away as I possibly can from here," I told him simply, avoiding his gaze.

He sighed, looking a bit irritated with me. "And your siblings? You can't just leave them here."

"Well, you're here, aren't you? Keep them busy and whatever—I don't really care." I let out an agitated huff and rolled my eyes, turning to leave.

A sudden blast of freezing wind swept past me and I suddenly found myself walking straight into Jack. I stopped just inches in front of him, preferring not to bonk into the icy mythological teen.

"You can't leave. Whether you believe in me or not doesn't really matter right now," he told me quietly. "Pitch will be back. And who knows what he can do if you are alone when he finds you?"

My irritation nearly boiled over. "Just leave me alone!" I complained. "Pitch never bothered me, my siblings _lied_." I bit my lip as soon as the words left my mouth. _Oh gosh, I didn't mean that…_

Celine let out a small noise that sounded like a gasp a small screech combined. "Hey!"

Johnny looked shocked that I had accused him and Celine of lying. He blinked at me, looking hurt. "…we saw Pitch, we _all_ did." He said quietly.

I was about to try and apologize when Jack groaned dramatically- he obviously had not noticed what I had just said. "I really want to help you all; but can you at least try to be cooperative?"

I folded my arms with smug look set on my face. "Huh. Sure, we can be cooperative for you, Ice Boy," I answered cynically. I could tell he didn't like my new name for him, but I continued. "We might as well get along so that the wind stays happy too!"

Jack Frost looked at me with an annoyed expression as if to sarcastically ask me: _"Really?"_

Johnny tapped my shoulder. "He controls the wind ya know."

I gritted my teeth, not taking my eyes off the winter spirit. "Shut up."

Celine cleared her throat. "Uh… now what?" she gave me a firm glance as if she was daring me to make another sharp remark.

"Quick question... how much do you guys argue?" Jack complained, sensing the very obvious tension between me and my siblings.

"We would argue less if Destiny wasn't so blind to the truth!" Celine said hotly. She folded her arms. "Anyway, what are we supposed to do now?"

"We are going to try and figure out what Pitch wants with Destiny, to start with. North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny all should be here soon and then they'll figure out the rest," Jack told Celine.

I wanted to say mockingly: 'Oh that's great—I guess I'll be working with Santa, a giant fairy, a kangaroo-like bunny, and a cute pudgy guy made of sand… as well as an ice boy. Big whoop,' But I bit it back, trying to remind myself that being sarcastic only got everyone else even more irritable. But apparently my face seem to speak aloud my thought, since Jack gave me a quick warning glare before turned back to Celine.

_I thought he was the Guardian of fun, not the annoying 'don't you dare' kind of Guardian. Gosh._

I stared at the night sky, trying not to pay attention to my siblings and the mythological boy in front of me. The sky seemed darker than normal—like a storm was approaching. Then I remembered that Jack controlled storms- winter storms, anyway. _Surely he wouldn't summon one now, would he?_ I wondered. I pinched myself as I realized that I was suddenly thinking as if I believed this was all real. _You're dreaming idiot, remember that,_ I snapped silently at myself.

A voice chuckled in my head and I stumbled backwards. 'Dreaming, ay? It really is funny how you like to lie to yourself, you know,' the voice muttered. 'I see you have a few friends trying to help you… they really won't do you much good though. You are just too easy for me to persuade.'

I didn't know how to respond. The voice was unmistakably Pitch's, and despite my constant disbelief about the Guardians' and Pitch's existence, I was suddenly enveloped in a new fear. I tried to push it away. _Be quiet, you are not real, Pitch! I will not pay attention to you, you are not alive and never were alive!_ I screamed inside my head.

'I'm not real, you say? How often do you lie to yourself? Apparently a lot. I am very much alive, Destiny, and you _will_ listen to me.' Pitch's voice snickered again, his voice echoing in my head, over and over again, making it feel as if he was right in my mind, ruthlessly haunting it. I slapped my hands over my ears and jumped back, biting back a sharp squeal of surprise. Blinking a few times, I made sure I had not collapsed again. Looking around I realized that I had only stumbled backwards a few paces and had nearly landed on the ice. But I was thankfully still on my feet and very much awake. Celine, Johnny, and Jack were all staring at me, all apparently unsure of how to respond to my sudden outburst. I bit my lip and stood up straight, trying to retain the little bit of dignity I had left.

"A-are you okay?" Johnny squeaked.

"Uh… yeah… why?" I fidgeted with the zipper on my coat.

Celine tapped her boot impatiently in the snow. "It happened again, didn't it? What did Pitch say this time?"

"W-What are you talking about?" I tried to act as if nothing had happened, which I soon realized looked very stupid to the three people in front of me.

"Lies, lies, lies… Destiny, you like telling a lot of them, don't you!" a voice snickered. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere in the cluster of trees. "I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not…"

At first I thought that my paranoid brain was making 'Pitch' talk to me—but when I saw Celine and Johnny's eyes widen and Jack whip around to face the forest beside us— I realized that I was very wrong. Pitch's piercing golden eyes came into view in the shadows of the trees. I leaped a few feet in the air, completely shocked—like a cat. Celine and Johnny glanced up at me, and I guessed that they would've been laughing if they weren't so startled by Pitch's…eyes.

Jack extended his staff, looking very much ready to fight.

"No, no, no… I didn't mean it like that Jack," Pitch muttered, stepping out of the shadows. Pitch looked pretty much the same as the movie—pale gray skin and glossy black hair that was styled in rounded spikes curving towards the back of his head. He wore black robes, and he was standing on a platform of black sand that was billowing beneath him. "I didn't come for a fight," he pointed at me. "I came for that necklace."

I blinked and took a step back, this time onto the ice. _Dreaming, you are dreaming. Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming… _I repeated constantly in my head, trying not to focus on my own fear. I shook my head, at a loss for words.

Jack glared at Pitch. "Why do you need the necklace? Besides, you're not going to get it."

"I said what I wanted; I don't need to tell you why. If you give it to me," Pitch glanced at me, "then I will leave you all alone… for now."

Celine cleared her throat. "I…I don't think a necklace really… suites you, ya know? Maybe you should get a crown since you are the Nightmare King…" she pointed out. I could tell she was trying to be light-hearted, but there was still a small quiver of fright in her voice. I didn't blame her—she used to be terrified of Pitch in the movie, and this was her nightmare coming to life.

Pitch glared at her. "Ha. Ha. Real funny," he muttered. Pitch gestured to me. "Necklace," he ordered.

I glanced at the ruby pendant hanging around my neck. Finding my voice, I managed to say, "What? No!"

Pitch said nothing. A sharp whinny broke into the cold air. Golden eyes peaked out from behind Pitch. Several large black horses stepped out of the shadows-Nightmares.

Johnny let out a tiny gasp then slapped his hand over his mouth. "D-don't be scared…" I heard him tell himself softly.

I grasped my necklace and walked a few paces backwards, which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, considering that I had backed up to the middle of the frozen lake. _Oh God..._

Celine stood her ground, struggling to be brave, and Jack extended his staff, ready to shoot.

Pitch chuckled, enjoying the sudden dread that hung in the frigid air. "Fear is a dangerous thing, isn't it?" With that, the Nightmares lunged forward.

**Haha! What will happen next? -...that sounded very cheesy. Um, I'm very tired, so this chapter is not my best... I had more planned for it, but I'll put it all in chapter 5—I feel like I've made you all wait long enough for this chapter. I might make chapter 5 kind of short and post it sooner (I really want to write its content!), but we'll have to see. Anyways, I hope I'm not boring anyone, and please review and do all that awesome stuff ya'll do! Stayed tuned for an upd-*****now buried in exams and studying*  
~ Tai Ling  
**


	5. Chapter 5: This is too much!

**I'm so so so sorry for the wait… again. :'(  
Anyways, I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy this chapter! It's much shorter than the others, but I felt the need to post it—I've made you all wait WAY too long. :) ****I wrote this kind of hastily, due to the fact that I wanted to get out it out faster, so uh... sorry about the grammar mistakes. I tried to edit as much as I could, but I'm not sure if I got them all. :) ****(by the way, please read my author's note at the end)**** Anyways, enjoy! **

The Nightmare horses charged straight at me—there were about seven, maybe. About two or three of them went towards Johnny and Celine. My heart skipped a beat and everything seem to slow down. _They will be okay... They must be okay… Jack can help them… _I stared at the Nightmare horses sprinting towards me. _Who will help me?!_

Suddenly, all I wanted to do now was wake up from this horrid dream. Okay, I wasn't really sure if this was a dream or not anymore, but I still hoped with all my heart it was a dream. This was all too unreal and impossible. I stared in pure horror at the shadowy horses racing towards me at full speed. I felt my heart skip a beat. It was then that I realized that I wasn't just scared, I was petrified. Heart in my throat, I whipped around and proceeded to run across the frozen lake to try to escape the shadowy Nightmares that were close on my heels. My frantic run quickly ended in vain as the ice made a sharp cracking noise, causing me to halt in my tracks._ Don't break the ice, Destiny, _I told myself.

I could feel the Nightmare horses' hot breath on the back of my head, but I didn't dare turn to face them. So I stood, unmoving and petrified with fear, in the center of the frozen lake.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Jack soaring towards me. For once, I actually wasn't annoyed with his presence. Ice shot out of his staff, and I heard a sharp whinny of pain as it destroyed one of the Nightmares.

Jack hovered down beside me and shot down another Nightmare, causing it to disintegrate into nothing but black sand. "Don't let Pitch get anywhere near your necklace," he warned me before thwacking a Nightmare on the head. All the Nightmares took a few paces back, unsure if they should attack or not.

"I know," I said quietly. A sudden thought hit me and my eyes widened in fear. "Okay… you are here … so _who the heck _is protecting Johnny and Celine?!"

Sensing my fear, a Nightmare horse's nostrils flared, and it jumped at me. Jack quickly shot it down. "Try not to think about things like that!" he exclaimed at me. "All you're going to do is make the Nightmares want to attack us even more," he sighed. "Your siblings are fine; they hid in your van. Both of them are being great sports, and they aren't even scared. They kind of remind me of Jamie."

_So Jamie's real, eh? _I thought grumpily. A flash of red from the corner of my eye caught my attention. My heart jumped into my throat in surprise. If it weren't for the fact that I was standing in the middle of a thinly iced lake, I most likely would've passed out again. Why did I feel like I was going to pass out? Well, swirling around in the dark night sky, was a bright red sleigh led by about six reindeer. It was descending towards the edge of the lake. _Oh no… please no… I'm insane… please stop… WAKE UP, DESTINY!_ My mind was dumbfounded for a moment, leaving me completely paralyzed as I tried to figure out what I was seeing.

Jack grinned triumphantly at the sight of my confused face. He then batted down the last Nightmare and landed on the ice beside me, the thin ice refreezing as his bare feet touched it. "See? We're real."

I glared at him. "Or I could just be dreaming," I countered negatively.

He sighed, glancing quickly over his shoulder to where the sleigh had landed. Jumping out of the sleigh was a larger-than-life man with a red coat, a rabbit tall enough to be a kangaroo, and a brightly colored fairy about three and a half feet tall. They all were racing towars the source of the chaos-Pitch.

"Just, uh… give me the necklace," Jack looked at me with his icy blue eyes.

I folded my arms. "Uh…why?"

"So that North and the other Guardians can keep it away from Pitch. It's safer that way," Jack explained hurriedly.

"I don't know… I think I trust myself more than a bunch of imaginary characters." I narrowed my eyes at him. _Besides, what's the big deal with the necklace, anyway?_

Jack stubbornly stuck out his hand for the necklace in my direction, looking slightly offended.

"No," I told him firmly. "It's _my_ necklace, and_ I_ will keep it, thank you very much."

The Winter Spirit floated above the ground again. "Okay then," he muttered, not looking very happy at all. With that, he flew off in the direction of the other Guardians.

I looked around the lake. All the Nightmares had seemingly vanished from around me. Far off, by the woods, I could see the dark shapes of Celine and Johnny through the heavily tinted windows of Gramps' van. They seemed to be watching the far edge of the lake, where all of the Guardians were. Over there, Pitch had just whipped up a fresh batch of Nightmare horses who were currently racing at the Guardians. No one was paying attention to the fifteen year old out in the middle of the lake. I supposed that that was a good thing.

_I guess I should get back to Celine and Johnny… and maybe get some sleep or something. Maybe… maybe this will all disappear when I wake up…! My life will be normal again… yes, that should work._

I took one last glance at mini battle between Pitch and the Guardians, and I ran towards the van, my mind set on one thing and one thing only: _Get back to a normal life with no mythological protectors, no shadowy nightmare man, and no apparently important necklace. _I continued to run across the ice towards the van.

The next few things happened impossibly fast: There was a harsh crack, and I felt a sharp, freezing rush as my mind suddenly became blank. I was plunged into a cold and suffocating darkness. Fear engulfed me as I realized what had happened_. I'm… I'm __**drowning**__! _I began to thrash around in the water, trying to find a way out. My attempts were quickly drained of energy and I could hear my heart pounding heavily. My lungs screamed for oxygen, but I refused to breathe in the swirling dark water. My mind began to slowly slip away into the darkness, and I could feel my life slipping away with it. Memories flashed quickly before my eyes: my first day of school, the day Celine was born, the day Johnny was born, the day I got a cat, the day Celine and Johnny bought Rise of the Guardians on DVD, my 13th birthday, my first day of high school, and the events of this today. They were all fading. I was fading. My life was ending. One sentence appeared in my mind, the words getting harder and harder to hear. It was the one sentence I heard dozens of times before: "Darkness. That's the first thing I remember. It was dark, it was cold, and I was scared. But then, then I saw the moon..."

"…**So big, so bright! It seemed to... Chase the darkness away. And when it did, I wasn't scared anymore. Why I was there and what I was meant to do... That I'd never know. And a part of me wonders if I ever will." ~Jack Frost ****  
*****Please Read***** It's a short chapter, I'm sorry. Don't worry though! Chapter 6 is 3/4 of the way done! As for Chapter 7, I actually have a clear schedule for the next month (next week I have a camp, but I'll be free for the rest of the time) so… More writing time! And this time, I mean it. I hate leaving you all waiting, I just feel so bad. So, I will strive my hardest to deliver chapters 5x more frequently than I have been lately! (oh yeah, when I was listing the Guardians in the sleigh, I didn't forget Sandy. It's nighttime so I figured that he wouldn't be there at the moment. Tooth technically wouldn't be either, if it weren't for her fairies. And no, Gramps hasn't disappeared either, lol). By the way, on a completely unrelated note, I have a question: Judging by the way I write, how old do you think I am? If some of you answer, I tell ya'll my real age sometime within the next two updates! ^^ Don't forget to review!**

~Tai ling :)


	6. Chapter 6: Um

**Hello, amazing readers! My internet was down, so I couldn't update sooner. I'd like to give a heads up that this chapter is a tad slow, but it needs to be written in order for me to get on with the story. :) Without further or do, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

My head pounded angrily, and my lungs screamed in a pain that would not subside. I heard a soft beeping in a distance, and some low murmuring off to my far right. I could feel that i was lying down on a soft and rather warm surface. My mind felt numb and very odd. Curious and confused, I slowly opened my eyes, a bright light streaming in through my half-opened lids. My eyes, blurry with exhaustion, could not process anything but the light. I was a bit frustrated, but it didn't last long when I began to feel a comforting warmth all around me. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

But my attempt to relax was in vain, for as soon as I tried to let out a small sigh in relief, My lungs convulsed and I began to cough uncontrollably. My constant coughs caused my throat to tighten in pain, and I was left in a miserable state. I let out a tiny sob of distress.

I felt someone touch my hand in a small way of comfort, but I felt no energy between my coughs to look at who was there.

"You're going to be alright, sweetie," someone murmured softly. "You're just a bit sick. No worries. You'll be all better soon."

I tried to comprehend her words. The coughs slowly began to fade away. _Sick? W-what happened...? I thought I drowned and then... then I died..._ I tried to piece things together as quickly as my numbed mind would. _So... I'm sick...? Is it possible that I actually didn't drown?!_ Hope fluttered in my heart. _Maybe this whole time I was sick and delirious, causing me to imagine the whole Guardian thing up!_

I struggled to make my eyes open so I could see where I was. Reluctantly, my eyes gradually obeyed and opened up once more. The light streamed back into them, making me squint. After a few moments, they adjusted to the light. Up above me was a plain, white ceiling. There were large lights embedded in some parts of the ceiling- like the way they sometimes are at a school.

I turned my head to the side of me where I had heard the voice- which was hard to do because my neck was very stiff- to see a lady in nurses' scrubs sitting in a chair beside me. She smiled gently at me.

"Ah, you are awake," she said happily. "How do you feel?"

"Funny..." I managed to croak out.

The nurse wrote something down on a clipboard. "Do you remember what happened?"

I frowned. _Should I mention that I drowned? I guess I should...I'll see what she says._

My throat tightened up again, but I struggled to speak anyway. "I was skating with my siblings... I fell through the" -a harsh cough escaped me- "ice.."

"Good, you remember," the nurse murmured. "Anything else?"

Okay so I did drown... Everything did happen?! Oh goodness...

"Uh..." I coughed again.

"Here, let me prop you up so you an have some water," the nurse offered kindly. She used a small remote type-thing to move the back of the bed I was on upwards. She then moved me forward and placed a pillow behind my back. Handing me a cup of water, she continued, "Drink slowly."

I cautiously raised the plastic cup to my mouth and slid a few drops of water down my throat. I felt the soreness subside slightly, and I relaxed. I gave the cup back to the nurse.

"You were quite lucky, you know," the nurse began thoughtfully, "If it weren't for a stranger who hauled you out of the water, you'd be in a lot worse... erm... condition."

I felt my face contort in confusion. "A stranger? Did anyone speak to this person?"

"No. After your sister managed called the ambulance, the stranger disappeared. At least, that's what your siblings said. They didn't really describe this person, though."

Something in my mind clicked, and I began to feel very awkward. _Who could have rescued me?_ My heart dropped like stone as I mentally listed everyone who had been at the lake._ Oh great. 'They' didn't help me... did they? _My mind went wild with several thoughts._ If the Guardians were truly there... Then where'd Pitch go? What happened to everything?_

The nurse seemed to have been watching my face intently as these thoughts swarmed around my mind. "It's a lot to take in," she agreed quietly. "I'm sure you'd like to talk to that person... I do really wonder why they ran off..."

I shrugged slightly. _I dunno. Talking to them might be the most embarrassing and awkward thing I've ever done._

After a moment's silence, the nurse looked at me sympathetically. "Would you like to speak with your family?"

I shrugged again. "Sure.."

"Your siblings are in the waiting room- they came with you here- and we managed to call your Grandfather as well. He'll be here very soon. I believe that he went to fetch your parents."

"Okay, that's good," I forced a weak smile.

"Would you like me to call in your siblings?"

I let out a wheezy breath before answering. "I-I guess so."

"Alright," the nurse stood up. "I will be right back, but if you need something while I'm gone or you start feeling as if you cannot breathe, push this button," she pointed to a little red button on the remote she had used. She then exited the room without another word.

I looked around. Attached to my finger was a pulse oximeter that was beeping to match my pulse. There was a window far to my right, and I could see snow softly falling outside. The sky was dark, so I figured it was still Christmas night.

_This is officially the strangest Christmas I have EVER had,_ I thought gloomily as my chest ached angrily. _And if everything I had seen earlier was real... Then things were going to get a lot weirder..._

The sound of the door opening broke into my thoughts. I saw two short figures race towards me- Celine and Johnny, of course.

"You're okay!" Johnny cheered, jumping up beside my bed. "I was so scared!"

The nurse from earlier shushed him. "I'm going to leave you three alone now, alright?" She turned to my siblings, "and if anything happens, I'll be right in the room beside here."

Celine nodded. "Kay."

The nurse gazed firmly at the three of us before walking off.

My two siblings looked back at me, excitement and worry in there eyes.

"I had no idea what had happened," Johnny rambled, "we were so busy watching the Guar-"

"Hush up Johnny! Don't talk about that here! We'll talk about that later!'" Celine hissed. "Sorry about him.." She muttered to me.

"Used to it," I replied, my throat getting dry again. "Can I have that water over there..?"

Celine grabbed the plastic cup and handed it to me. As she watched me drink, she began to look sheepish. "I guess I shouldn't be worried about you-know-what right now..." she sighed. "I'm glad you're ok..."

I took another sip of water. "I'm glad too... I thought... I thought I wouldn't... Make it..."

Johnny shook his head. "Don't think about that. You're fine, and that's that."

I smiled at him, but before I could reply, someone rushed through the door. "Oh my lord, Destiny, are you alright?"

My mom hurried to my bedside. "Honey... You're so pale..." She gave me a very light hug, careful not to hurt me. She turned to my dad who had just hurried over. "Pete, your father is never ever going to take the children out again without me, understood?" She told him firmly.

Dad sighed. "I know." His gazed turned to me and he seem to melt. "Dest... I'm so sorry..."

My normal irritable self seemed to return. _Stop fussing! I'm okay! My chest and throat hurt, and I'm tired, but I'm OKAY!_ I wanted to yell.

The nurse rescued me right on time. "I know you just got here, but Destiny really needs to get some rest..." She murmured. "The hospital wants to keep her for the rest of the night due to the fact that it took..." The nurse began to ramble on to my parents, and I instinctively stopped listening. My eyes began to droop close, and I fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

My sleep wasn't as peaceful as I would've liked, for as soon as my mind went blank with sleep, I began to be haunted with nightmares. But when I woke up, I would never recall what had ruthlessly terrified me in my sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, my chest had stopped hurting, but my body was sore as if I had been out running. My cheeks felt damp as if I had been in tears. The nurse was sitting by me, busily scratching things down on a piece of paper.

"What do ya got there?" I asked her.

The nurse jumped. "Huh!? Oh... You're awake... Sorry..." she glanced at the paper. "This? This is just a... Page I was doodling on..." the young woman smiled sheepishly. "I'm on my break, but I wanted to say goodbye to you before you left. So, I decided to stay in here and keep myself busy while waiting for you to wake up."

"I'm leaving? When?"

"You slept halfway through today, Destiny, it's December 26, 5pm. You parents are down the hall signing some paperwork. They are going to pick you up when I tell them you're awake," the nurse explained.

"So I'm alright..?"

"Get plenty of rest at home, don't do anything risky, stay warm, and eat healthy, and you'll be a-okay before New Year's Eve!"

I stared outside at the swirling snow. "I'm glad..."

"Yes, me too. It was a tough night though. You wouldn't stop writhing in your sleep! It was almost impossible to keep you still so you wouldn't hurt yourself…" The nurse groaned.

I sighed. "Er… sorry?"

The nurse waved it away. "Not your fault! I shouldn't have said anything. Now, your clothes are over there by the door, and your phone—what's left of it, anyway—is on the counter."

_Is that all I had?_ I did a quick recap of all my items. _The necklace!_

"Was there a necklace? It had a ruby or gold pendant," I questioned.

"Ruby or gold pendant…" the nurse repeated, confused. "Nope. I'm sorry, Destiny. It must have fallen off of you. I can check with some of the other nurses to make sure, if you'd like."

I smiled weakly, despite the worried thoughts running through my mind. "Um it's okay, there's no need."

"Are you sure?" she got up from the chair.

"Positive," I mumbled.

The nurse looked uncertainly at me. "I guess I should go get your parents, then. It was very nice talking to you, Destiny."

"You too. Hey, what's your name?"

"Amy. Amy Polsun," Amy grinned. Her eyes lit up. "Ooohh! I almost forgot! There was a note left for you by your pillow last night. I have no idea where it came from, but here," she handed me an envelope.

On the front of the envelope was my name in sloppy handwriting, which looked as if whoever had written it was in a rush. "Thank you," I said politely to Amy.

Amy nodded and then exited the room.

I tore open the envelope as soon as she closed the door. A slip of paper was inside. In the same handwriting as the front of the envelope, it said:

_Dear Destiny,_

_We hope you feel alright. We've been quite worried. We're sorry that we let this happen- we should've been watching you more closely. Anyway, do you have the necklace? We can't find it here, so it didn't fall into the water. Please let us know by leaving a note under your pillow. Baby Tooth will pick it up tomorrow night. (That's December 26, in case you are reading this later than intended). We've let your siblings know what's going on with Pitch, so they will fill you in soon. _

_Love and concern,_

_The Big Five_

_(written by North, by the way)_

_P.S. If you're wondering how we were able to send this, well, Tooth sent Baby Tooth personally to deliver it- just to let you know._

My mind went numb again, unsure of what to make of the words before my eyes. I shoved the letter back into its envelope as my parents entered the room,

My mother smiled at me. "Come on honey," she said softly. "Do you want Daddy to carry you to the car?"

I stared at her. "What?! No, thank you!" I exclaimed.

Mom sighed. "I'm glad you're feeling yourself again... I just thought that you might like it, you just look so worn down..." she mumbled. She was quiet for a moment, deep in thought, before her grin returned. "When we get home I'll make you some hot chocolate," she promised.

"What about us?" came a whine from the doorway.

I sat up to see Celine and Johnny standing in the doorway, looking very jittery. They both glanced at me quickly, and then looked away when they saw that I was watching.

"Is um… everything alright?" I asked them.

"Us? Uh, yeah, sure," Celine muttered, avoiding my eyes. She turned back to our mother. "Do we get hot chocolate?" she repeated.

Mom shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not…" She gestured to Johnny. "Grab Destiny's clothes for me, and we'll be off."

Johnny groaned. "Kay."

Celine walked over to me. "What's that letter?" she whispered to me, still dodging my gaze.

I glanced at my mom who was now examining the remains of my phone.

"Uh… tell you at home…" I hissed.

"Okay, you won't believe what Johnny and I found out last night, though," she murmured. "Give me the letter and I'll put it in my pocket, alright?"

I handed the letter over, and Celine barely grasped it, as though it was a ticking bomb.

Celine squinted over her shoulder. "Thanks. By the way, you got a lot of sleep, right? Tonight is going to be a long night…"

**Okie dokie! Chapter ended! I hope you enjoyed, I'm sorry it was slow and that nothing really happened. I promise action in the next chapter! Don't forget to review!**

**Until next time,**

**~Tai Ling**  
**Hey uhh… how old do you guys think I am, judging by my writing?**

Fun fact: I wrote this chapter on my phone since my laptop was being strange. My thumbs hurt now.


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